Andy Roddick says Serena Williams can bench a dump truck

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- It came to the attention of someone that on her website Serena Williams listed a win over Andy Roddick as a career highlight. Serena said she defeated Roddick, 6-1, when both were junior players in Florida. Roddick said it was the truth, that Serena had beaten him once.

‘She won’t give me a rematch,’ Roddick said Sunday at the Australian Open. ‘I told her it wasn’t fair. When we were 10, I had to literally run around in the shower to get wet. She was bench pressing dump trucks already at that time. I told her that yesterday and she got a good laugh. Any chance she gets she just does it to get under my skin and she does it very successfully.’

Roddick also disputes Williams’ memory of the score being 6-1.

‘The score gets better for her also. She’s good at not letting the truth get in the way of a good story sometimes. I think it was 6‑4. The score gets better for her also.’

Today, Williams (pictured above during her fourth-round match) said she disagreed with Roddick’s view of himself as so skinny back then. ‘Andy was a fit guy,’ she said. ‘But like I said, he was always trying to get muscles like mine, get more developed. I guess it hasn’t happened yet.’

When it was suggested to Williams that she and Roddick, who plays No. 3-sedeed Novak Djokovic on Tuesday in the quarterfinals, might make a good mixed doubles team, she agreed. ‘That would be great,’ Williams said. ‘All I would have to do is stand and he serves every time.’

-- Diane Pucin